PANJIM: On 26th January, Republic Day, 55 organisations doing social work, human rights advocacy or environmental protection met under the “Rally for Goa”. Their sole purpose: get the day-today concerns of ordinary citizens on the agenda of the political parties.
The rally succeeded in creating considerable interest. As a result of it, the Goenche Mogi who had come for the rally prepared a Citizens Manifesto which comprised the principal issues and problems affecting Goa’s citizens in various parts of the state.
The major issues included in the Citizens’ Manifesto are Casinos; Tribal rights under the Forest Rights Act; Liquor and beer factory at Amdai, Sanguem; Coconut tree re-classification; Sexual exploitation; Women’s rights; DefExpo at Betul; Competent Hotel at Cansaulim; Airport at Mopa; Dredging by Mormugao Port Trust; Regional Plan 2021; Outline Development Plans of Margao, Panjim, Mapusa and Calangute/Baga; Amendments to Agricultural Tenancy Act; Monsoon ban on fishing be extended; Justice for Fr Bismarque; Mining Bypass at Sanvordem; Investment Promotion Board; Leading Hotels Golf Course Resort at Tiracol; Goenchi Mati Movement’s proposal for fair mining; Save the Western Ghats; Peace and harmony between Goa’s religious communities; Shipyards at Chicalim; Empowering disabled people in Goa.
After finalisation, the Citizens Manifesto was sent to all political parties and to the individual candidates. Almost all received it by email. Some of the leaders of the political parties were also approached and the manifesto physically handed over to them. Where possible, the persons were contacted on the phone and their commitments solicited. The results were circulated on social media and made available on the website of goenchimati.org.
The exercise was well worth it, it appears, as the bulk of political parties agreed to ensure serious consideration of the proposals made in the manifesto. A few parties accepted the manifesto in toto, while others accepted most, but rejected some. Many candidates voiced serious concern at the steady destruction and deterioration of Goa’s natural environment and said they would do their best to work with the GMM to stop this firmly in its tracks, if voted to power.
On one issue, however, there was unanimous concurrence: the Goenchi Mati proposals relating to a crucial sector: mining.
Almost all contacted agreed that Goans needed to acknowledge that they — and not the Goa government or the lease-holders — owned the ore extracted by mining. Therefore, they should get the maximum benefit, if it were extracted and sold. All agreed that there should be a cap on the quantity of ore extracted by mining annually, so that the ore would last for future generations. All agreed that if the ore were removed, the value recovered through its sale should go into a permanent fund (which we have called the Goenchi Mati Permanent Fund). This fund cannot be touched by government. Only the interest from such a fund should be distributed to all as a basic dividend.
The church in Goa also came out strongly in favour of the Goenchi Mati Permanent Fund idea, and invited the GMM campaigners to meet and discuss these proposals in dozens of well attended meetings with a wide class of individuals in its institutions.
The Goenchi Mati proposals received a strong shot in the arm after they were featured in the Economic Survey of India 2017, released on 31 Jan, 2017.
